She had only filmed one episode before being dropped by Cowell and the incident soured relations between the pair.

Speaking to Daybreak, Simon said: "I have done this a long time. You have fall-outs along the way. I held my hands up and said I made a mistake and I was sorry - and I was sorry. Then when I decided to come back, I also decided I had to have Cheryl back on the show with me."

Cheryl explained how she finally gave in to Simon's pleas to return to the ITV show: "There's only so much begging one can take and it's not nice to see a grown man cry, so I finally succumbed."

It is yet to be confirmed which other judges will be joining the pair on the show's panel.

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The last time Simon Cowell and Cheryl Cole were both on The X Factor was 2010.

They had an audience of 17.2 million watching Matt Cardle being crowned the winner, but that figure had dropped by 7.5 million for the climax of the 2013 series when Sam Bailey won. Cheryl says this series will be 'fun'.

"I'm very happy and excited to be returning to The X Factor. I'm inspired and ready to find new talent and potential pop stars. It's going to be a fun series."

Cheryl Cole is returning to The X Factor after four years. The popstar said she was "happy and excited" to be back with the ITV show.

Cheryl was sacked from the US version of the show. She has since made up with Syco boss Simon Cowell and is reported to have signed a deal for £1.5m.

Both Cowell and the former Girls Aloud star quit the show after the 2010 series to launch a new version across the Atlantic. But she was dropped within weeks, amid claims that Americans could not understand her Newcastle accent, and the pair fell out.

Her return to the UK show was announced by Cowell with a message posted online, which said: "It's official. Cheryl is back. Most importantly she is a brilliant judge of talent."

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There has been mixed reactions to the announcement that Cheryl Cole will return to The X Factor. One comment says 'It is amazing what money can buy', others have supported the move and tweeted their excitement about her being back on the show.